I think some of you are missing the point. As a Pilot and Aviator, you do have a unique set of skills and whilst these skills can easily transfer into many different jobs and careers outside of Aviation, it is not always easy to do so in real life, especially when the world is having a wobble. Unfortunately, as I have learnt since I Retired in late 2017, you can’t just walk into many jobs and announce that you are indeed worthy of some exalted position.
Not long after I returned to Retirement life here in NZ, I thought it would be nice to find some sort of part-time job, in which I could fill in the Winter months, when it is not that pleasant at times out on the golf course, or out on friend’s fishing boats. I thought it would be good to go do some easy driving of a mini bus and take Special Needs kids to school, or Driving Miss Daisy, where you have a car and take people to places they need to be and bring them back again. I only wanted to do something like 20 or so hours a week.
The catch with this, is that you can’t just front up and do it, you have to get a `P’ Endorsement on your Driving Licence, to be allowed to carry passengers somewhere. Now I thought that would be easy, but here in dear old NZ and their Bureaucracy, they wanted me, amongst other things, to get a Police Clearance going back to when I was 14 and all the places I have lived since then. Having lived in the UK from 1979 to 1984 and then Hong Kong from 1984 until 2017, do you have any idea how impossible that is to do?? I ran into a complete administrative brick wall, trying to get these approvals and clearances and after a time, I ran out of energy and gave up.
I let it go for about a year and then I thought, Bugger it, I won’t let these administrators do me in and I tried again. It was again impossible to make any headway with the overseas side of things and even though I tried to explain my background, experience and qualifications, as a Senior Captain for over 30 years, the NZ authorities would not budge initially and just stonewalled it. I don’t know how many letters I wrote, without any acrimony on my part, including enlisting the help of my local MP and I eventually managed to go by an alternate process and use References of long standing, to supply what the NZTA wanted. It took over a year, before I was finally given the P Endorsement, which I have not used as yet, as I have been playing more golf. You can’t drive buses or taxis either without one.
There are of course many jobs you can go and do, but for most, if not all jobs that involve moving people, or things around, you need to have a Licence. You can get a Heavy Duty truck licence if that is what you want to do. If you want to be a Real Estate Agent, as some here in NZ are doing from Air NZ, even Car Salesmen, you have to get a Licence, Diploma, Certificate, or something first, before you can be let loose out there. Train drivers need to go through training and whilst it wouldn’t be hard to do, you still need to actually do it and you can’t just say that you were a wonder to behold in your Aviation career and let me loose on a TGV or whatever.
Obviously we have Managerial and Leadership skills, able to solve problems etc etc, but most companies and businesses are not going to just employ you, unless you have a suitable Degree, or some sort of previous experience in that field. If you think you will just be able to walk out of your aeroplane, when you are furloughed, laid off, or whatever fate befalls you and walk into some plush and highly paid job, I unfortunately have bad news for you, as many are starting to find out now.
So in summary, whilst you may be skilled, experienced and well qualified in one field, Aviating in this case, it does not mean that those skills will be easily and readily be appreciated when you try to get employment in another area and some of you may be in for a rude awakening. It is what it is and in hindsight, although I never needed it during my career, I think it would have been very prudent to have got some useful qualification, in a field you could fall back on, should something like Covid 19 happen again and the world changes. Even if it is only for a few months, or a short term, it would be sensible and smart to be prepared for the future, so you can continue to earn an income of some sort, in case it happens again, which it probably will.
Good luck to you all.
Best Regards,
PH.